


An Olive Branch to Repair a Nest

by Emby



Series: Empty Nest [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Avian Characteristics, Break Up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Female Lance (Voltron), Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 06:41:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emby/pseuds/Emby
Summary: There had to be a reason Lance was acting the way she was. But he didn't expect it to be this.





	An Olive Branch to Repair a Nest

At first she didn’t realize why she was nesting. Only that she NEEDED to get the softest blankets in the castle or else she wouldn’t be able to sleep, anxiety liberally setting off warning bells in her head. Nobody really noticed or if they did they didn’t really care except for Keith when he decided to head to bed and all of his blankets were gone. 

“Lance, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” The blankets are yanked out from under her and her heart nearly stops, fear for something that’s not yet there. She finds herself latching on to the blankets as Keith begins to drag them away. Part of her is mortified when she begs “Keith please, I need these you don’t understand.” Keith scoffs. “Is this some avian thing that you’re gonna flaunt at me, I’m not buying it.” He yanks the quilt hard and Lance falls hard on her side. “Grow up Lance.” 

They don’t see Lance for days after that not even when there's an attack. That in itself is worrying.

After hours of searching, they find her but she won’t let anyone near and there’s the lingering scent of blood in the air. “Lance!” Pidge’s hissed whisper makes its way into the crevice but there’s no change. 

“Anything new?” Pidge shakes her head at Shiro. “No, if anything its worse.” The strange growling she was emitting had gotten hoarse. “Did she have any food or water?”  
“We don’t know, but someone has to go in there. We need to know what’s wrong with her.” 

The hole Lance had crammed herself into was within the ship walls. A loose panel granting her access. “Either you or Keith should go in there.” Shiro decides “You two are the smallest.” Keith gives Shiro a pointed look. “As if she would want me near her right now.”

“That doesn’t matter right now Keith, she’s hurt.” Pidge squares up tucking her wings tightly to her body as she slips through the hole. She’s not even inside for a minute before there’s a commotion.

Pidge clambers out of the hole a frantic look in her eyes. As she crawls out, her foot gets stuck and her panic is nearly palpable “Get me out, fucking pull me out of here!” the urgency in her voice moves the rest of them to action dragging Pidge out and away from the hole. “Are you ok, is she ok?” 

“She has a baby!” That stops all their thoughts and everyone is frozen for too long. “She, are you sure?” Pidge glares at Keith. “Well eggs but yeah I’m fucking sure, she lunged at me because I got too close.” It clicks for Keith then, “That's why she was nesting holy shit.” that statement takes everyone else by surprise.

“You knew?!” 

“I mean, she kept trying to take my bedding I thought she was being an asshole.” The glare they all shoot at him has Keith rethinking his recent actions. But again that, doesn’t matter right now. 

“Keith, I think you’re the only one she’ll allow near her right now. You have to go in there.” 

He eyes the hole warily “Alright, I’ll knock on the wall where she’s at. We might have to cut it open to get her out safely.” 

When he goes inside the graveness of her situation finally hits him She’s been missing for five days no food no water and on top of that, she had two eggs.

She stops growling and chirps at him Keith can only understand that she's asking him a question. “Lance sweetie I don’t understand you I don’t know what you’re asking me.” he can taste her frustration in the air and then resignation when she lays on her side breathing heavily.

“Can we move you, can I touch them?” He searches her face and she nods closing her eyes. He’ll take this small victory. Keith hits the wall and immediately the metal is carved into to give them access to the hole. Keith looks back at her and his heart jumps to his throat. “Lance?” she’s not moving and her breathing is too shallow to be safe. “Lance wake up!” the carving stops “Keith what’s going on?” Pidge calls but he doesn’t stop to answer her. With what little space he has he turns and kicks the wall. Desperation makes each blow stronger but it feels like too long before the wall finally caves. The next moments are tense as they hastily move her to the infirmary. 

~

She wakes up to an empty room aching. But her pain doesn’t matter right now her babies aren’t here. She screeches a high painful noise that bounces off the walls and stumbles out of the bed pulling wires and needles out of her skin but she doesn’t feel it. “Where are my babies.” her voice isn’t loud enough to carry through the room but nobody is there. She's in the infirmary but not for long.  
Lance tears down the halls clutching her abdomen emitting the sharp trill but she’s not doing it on purpose. She's just scared. Up ahead, a door slides open and Hunk steps out his eyes darting around to find the source of the panic.  
“Lance!” She barrels past him knocking him aside she can feel them they’re close. Keith’s door opens next and she zeros in on him pinning him against the wall angrily. The breath rushes out of him and he freezes at the mercy of a terrified mother. “Where are they!” Lance’s voice is hoarse from disuse and he winces. “They’re inside.” he wheezes pointing to his bunk where they lay nestled in his blankets. 

The shift in Lance’s demeanor is sudden as she pushes past him finally collapsing at the edge of the bed. Keith and Hunk can only watch at the door as she checks them over. Hunk leans over to Keith “She shouldn’t be up yet.” Keith nods not taking his eyes off of her worried. “Lance!” She tilts her head in his direction in acknowledgement. “You.. are you hungry?” she shakes her head and continues checking over her eggs and then stroking them when she sees nothing wrong. Keith opens his out planning to tell her off but Hunk beats him to it. He, rather than speaking, coos at her a soft noise and she answers back. Hunk’s noises become more insistent and she finally concedes or that’s what it looks like to Keith who can’t understand a ‘word’ they’re saying. 

Hunk begins walking away and Keith has to jog to catch up to him. “What’d she say?” Hunk give him a sheepish look. “Sorry, I forgot you don’t understand.” She said she’ll eat but she doesn't know if she can hold anything down. So soups on the menu.” 

When they reach the kitchen all talking ceases. It's Keith hovering and Hunk cooking. As the food boils Hunk doesn’t turn around when he addresses him. “Congrats, you're gonna be a father.” Keith chokes on the water he’s drinking.”Thanks?” “What did you do to make her so unhappy Keith?” “I didn’t do anything she kept attacking me for shit I couldn’t change.” 

“There’s a lot you don’t see huh? Non-verbal communication isn’t really your strong suit.” 

Keith bristles, this feels like a dig at him. “Fuck you, I didn’t get that cushy life that you all did.” Hunk raises his hands placating, “I’m not trying to bully you or make fun of you Keith, I’m just saying. The past few weeks Lance has been devastated. Yeah she still acts like the happy go lucky goofball that she is but she was head over heels for you. Losing you messed her up.” 

Keith narrows his eyes, “Bullshit. She wouldn’t stop mocking me and making fun of the way I did things. I didn’t want to Lo- like someone who didn’t like me for me.” Hunk carefully ladles the soup into a thermos and a bowl before nodding towards the door as he leaves. “Keith, no offense. You’re the hardest person to love.” “Hey!” “Hear me out, you’re hard to love but once people fall it's hard to get back up.” 

 

They head back to Keith’s room. Hunk stands as close as she allows and sets the Thermos down. He doesn’t leave until she takes a fucking sip. And the let out a held breath as she proceeds to consume the soup opening the thermos for more. 

They leave her and Hunk grabs Keith’s clothes before he walks off to go wherever he goes nowadays. “What?”

“She’s gonna hate me for this but follow me.” Hunk takes him on a long winding trek through the ship till they stand in front of a door. Four months ago she asked me for a favor. And I know you don’t have a lot of experience but you have to know what this means.” 

Keith pushes the door open and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust and he gasps. The whole room is a nest. Just a huge bed of blankets and a raised bed hanging from the ceiling. “Usually the men do this but she wanted to surprise you.” Hunk’s voice fades into background noise as Keith walks deeper into the room. For the first time he feels like he belongs. He can feel what this means in his bones and he’s not floundering over a missed custom, this is part of him. 

“When did she ask you for help?” Keith can hear the desperation in his voice but he doesn’t care.  
“Keith this was months ago, before all your shit went down. You don’t remember when she would sneak off for hours?” 

He does remember but he was so mad at her, he tried not to care. “Shit..” “Right? I’ll leave you here to wallow. But Keith,” Hunk puts a hand on his arm. “Relationships are a two way street that needs communication, you both need to realize that.”  
Keith stays in the room till the ship’s light cycle changes from night to dawn.

~ 

Lance isn’t really herself anymore. She flits around when she needs food, or other necessities but she rarely leaves the eggs for long.  
Despite their falling out, Keith is really the only one she allows in the room or to touch the eggs and seeing as it's his room she's holed up it, it works out fine.

She's curled around them today with an arm dangling off the bed. She looks so peaceful like this and it's such a difference from how she's been these past months. It's probably his fault being so engrossed in his own unhappiness, he snapped at everyone, especially Lance. Instead of giving into sadness he turned to anger.

“I'm sorry.” her soft voice jolts him out of his thoughts and blue meets violet. She repeats it again “I'm sorry I messed up. I thought- I thought we were ok. But we weren't and I hurt you.” Tears sparkle in her eyes surprising Keith. Lance rarely cried she reaches for his hand and with no hesitation, he takes it. “You don't have to apologize Lance-” “No! I do, you were the best thing to happen to me out here and I ruined it because I ruin everything I touch.” “Stop it! You don’t.” Keith moves to his knees coming face to face with her. “You are sunlight encouraging things to grow you were the catalyst in any good that happened to me and I threw it away because of my own issues. I should have talked to you instead of shutting you out.” She laughs a teary laugh “We both messed up huh?” “Yeah but if you'll have me, I'd like to fix it.” She smiles the first real smile in a long time “Of course.”

They move to the nest Lance pouting the whole way because she didn't get to surprise Keith herself. But the move there improves her condition. Hunk is the first one she allows in the room, her brother in everything but blood. “Thank you for allowing me into your space.” He says bowing and acting all formal. Lance replies with the same air of elegance.

“Too right you should be thanking me.” They burst into giggles and Hunk spins her around in a tight hug. “I missed you Lance, I'm glad you're feeling better.” Pidge and Shiro are next. Lance found it funny how often they would stroll by the room under the guise of exploration. She calls them in one afternoon laughing at the caught out looks on their faces. “Don't just stand there, I need my hugs!” allura and Coran were the most elusive trying not to step on any Avian customs that they wouldn't understand but in the end getting the gang back together trumped propriety. 

“Keith look!” he rolls over groaning he was having a good dream. Lance's excitement however makes him more alert and he's glad for it when Lance shines a flashlight through the shell. Inside they can see their baby the life that they had created. He can’t explain to the rest of the team why he’s crying when he goes to get her food. 

In the dead of night their babies choose to finally join the world. Lance feels the eggs wobbling, more so than usual and the gentle tapping against the shell was even more clue as to what was going on. “Keith, it think it's happening!” she whispers not taking her eyes off the wobbling eggs. The room is quiet save for the tap tap tap of the egg tooth against the shell. Lance gasps with tears running down her face when a large chunk of shell breaks off and she sees her son's face for the first time. She beams at Keith and he kisses away her tears and holding her so tightly as if to tell her he'll never let go.

The surprise on everyone’s faces that morning is well worth the sleepless night. “Oh my God, they're here!” Pidge rushes forward and tentatively reaches her hand out to caress the soft sleeping face looking at Lance for permission. Which she gladly gives. The next few moments are filled with cooing and tears mainly from Coran. 

Allura holds the hand of the baby in front of her. “What are their names? “Well, this is Elias named after my Father.”Keith answers ticking his little nose “And that little guy with Lance is Coran.” The shock on Coran’s face makes Lance laugh. “Don’t make that face Coran, you knew this was coming.” “I’m honored nonetheless I'll be the greatest uncle he'll ever know.” Allura smiles and turns to Hunk “Looks like you have some competition.” Hunk looks unfazed “He's got nothing on my cooking skills. You know what they say, a way to a kid's heart and all that.” The lighthearted argument lasts long into the night after they've eaten a celebratory dinner Hunk had prepared. That night is spent in The Nest through the wonderful experience of ‘childbirth’ the bonds between them had grown stronger.

~

Elias and Coran grow in the nest and in there they take their first steps. But its on Earth they take their first flights. 

The war ends with Zarkon's death and Lotor's ascension to the throne. The Galra empire was no longer one for conquest and glory but rather advocated for peace and prosperity throughout the galaxy. They had a long way to go to prove themselves but with Voltron vouching for them the task didn't seem too daunting. 

When the Castle Ship lands, they’re welcomed by everyone they left behind brothers, sisters mothers, fathers. Keith looks to Lance planning to take her hand as they walk down to the Earth but rather than zooming straight for her family Lance secures Elias on her chest and takes flight trilling out a long specific whistle. 

Keith watches in awe as Lance’s mother shoots up from the crowd to the sky following her daughter. He doesn’t see the imposing figure of her older brother until the man stands in front of him. 

“So little Lancelot finally settled down.” He holds out his hand “Vernon McClain, Lance’s older brother.” Keith snaps out of his daze and shakes his hand. “Keith Kogane.” Their initial meeting goes better than he thought it would, no great speeches of how he would kill him or any other such threats. They immediately welcome him as on of their own with great bear hugs and back slaps. Then turn their eyes to the sky watching the dance between mother and daughter. 

“What exactly are they doing?” Keith whispers. Vernon explains it to Keith that since Lance has started her own family she needs her mother’s blessing on her and her children. “She essentially needs to prove that you guys are fine on your own,otherwise you’re moving in.” Vernon laughs a deep belly laugh. “Don’t worry about, knowing Lance she’d do everything in her power to fly the coop.” 

Which they are and they swoop down circling each other their laughter filling the air. “Celebrations are in order,” her mother shouts from above “Our Family has grown!” She doesn’t mean that with just the addition of Keith and the children. But also the rest of the Paladins. Its unspoken that the bond created during their time in space is more than just allies. 

Everything was finally back to normal and they were happy. Lance stands on a hill taking in the sight of her family. Keith comes up next to her and takes her hand smiling. She couldn't imagine asking for anything more. This is perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for coming along with me on this journey I really appreciate it. I'd link my tumblr but I'm barely active on there.
> 
> (Its Wriiteitdown just in case)


End file.
